Annual Crop Report
2022 Monterey County Crop Report
In accordance with Sections 2272 and 2279 of the California Food
and Agricultural Code, Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner Juan Hidalgo announced on July 25, 2023, the release of the 2022 Annual Crop and Livestock Report for the County of Monterey. This report reflects a production gross value of
$4,638,336,000 which is an increase of 13.1% from 2021.
Strawberries: Top Crop in 2022
Top valued commodities in 2022 include Strawberries which maintain the top spot with a gross production value of $958,774,000, a 1% decrease from 2021. Leaf lettuce, including Romaine and other leaf lettuce varieties, continued to be the 2nd most valuable crop at $842,462,000 with an increase of 13.6%, and Head lettuce as the 3rd most valuable crop at $546,786,000 with an increase of 21.1%. While it is good to see values remain high for lettuces, Impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV) continues to impact lettuce production resulting in reduced yields. Collaborations among growers, industry, USDA, and the University of California Extension have been crucial in finding solutions to help control the disease. Broccoli remained at 4th place ranking with a 67.7% increase to $519,049,000. Broccoli’s significant increase in value was due in part to increased production volumes and good pricing during the year.
Overall, the Vegetable Crops category saw an increase in value of 21.8% to
$3,129,167,000. Fruits and Nuts category had a decrease of 3.9% to $1,234,722,000
primarily due to unseasonable warm weather observed in mid to late summer that
reduced production yields for wine grapes. Wine Grapes ranked 7th in production value
in 2022. Seeds and Field Crops saw increases, and Livestock remained steady.
The values represented here reflect gross values of agricultural commodities grown in Monterey County, and do not include costs incurred by growers that include but are not limited to labor, field preparation, planting, irrigating, harvesting, distribution, pest management, cooling, marketing, equipment, assessments, regulatory costs or loss experienced by individual operations, and other production activities.
This year’s Crop and Livestock Report theme “Rooted in Serving Our Community” highlights the work and programs of the Agricultural Commissioner’s Office to serve our communities and protect agriculture and environment.
Link to the full 2021 Crop Report here.
Agricultural Commissioners date back to 1881 when the “Board of Horticultural Commissioners” was established by legislation and initially adopted in 11 counties. The main role at that time was to regulate plant quarantine pests, rodent, insect and weed infestations, and fruit and vegetable quality and standards. Much of the work that started over 140 years ago continues to be carried out by Agricultural Commissioners and their staff throughout California.
Monterey County’s Top 10 Crops in 2022:
- Strawberries = $958,774,000
- Leaf Lettuce = $ 842,462,000
- Head Lettuce = $546,786,000
- Broccoli = $519,049,000
- Cauliflower = $216,860,000
- Celery = $180,564,000
- Wine Grapes = $173,789,000
- Spinach = $166,344,000
- Nursery & Flowers = $1234,314,000
- Brussels Sprouts = $114,855,000
Note: all crop values are gross production amounts and do not represent profits on individual crops.Monterey County is again the fourth highest Ag producing County in California, following Kern, Tulare, and Fresno Counties.View a schedule of crops grown and harvested in Monterey County by season.
In 2022, California’s total agricultural production reached $55.9 Billion (gross dollars of output). Top crops in our state: Dairy & Milk Products, Grapes, Cattle & Calves, Almonds, Lettuce, Strawberries, Pistachios, Broilers, Tomatoes, and Carrots.
